Liverpool’s flying start to the season has caught the eye of Alan Shearer, who has included four Reds stars in his Premier League Team of the Season so far.

No summer signings, of course, except for Federico Chiesa, but under new manager Arne Slot, players will be given a clean slate. And some, like Ryan Gravenberch, have grabbed it with both hands.

That £34m signing from Bayern Munich has been little short of a revelation in a slightly more defensive midfield role, though Shearer was particularly impressed by his dominance in midfield – which has played such a crucial role in Liverpool’s stirring start both offensively and at the back.

Alan Shearer — Originally carltonreid; retouched by DFS454, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The signing of Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, naturally, had to come along sooner or later. But it’s Gravenberch who really shows the difference he’s made.

But it’s not just the players who’ve managed to impress. Slot himself has won over Shearer, who believes he’s the manager of the season so far.

“When influential long-term figures have left other clubs, we have sometimes seen a sharp decline. Not this time. Liverpool appear even harder to beat than they were under Jurgen Klopp,” Shearer said.

Nonetheless, with Liverpool currently sitting at the top and playing with a swagger, it’s obvious that they were to be beaten this season. This must go well with the following support from Shearer as regards what the rest of the season holds for the Reds.